The Board found that a chronic right lower extremity disability, including arthritis, was not shown in service or within one year of discharge from service and it has not been shown by competent medical evidence to be related to the Veteran's active service.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence showing a chronic right ankle or foot disability during service or at the time of her discharge. The earliest documented complaints were in 1996, when she was seen for peripheral edema. Right knee strain with chondromalacia was diagnosed in 1998 but not related to the 1975 ankle sprain.
- Claimed conditions
- Right lower extremity disability, Arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 12, 2012
- Citation
- 1209189
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1209189.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection of a right lower extremity disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as her eligibility for specially adapted housing. The decision also granted her eligibility for special home adaptation due to permanent total service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error in previous examinations, requiring additional information on right shoulder ROM measurements without medication effects.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for hypertension, warts, and bilateral lower extremity disabilities due to errors in creating an adequate TERA memorandum and failure to obtain a TERA nexus opinion. The VA RO is required to create a new TERA memorandum considering all possible TERAs, including those related to Persian Gulf service, asbestos exposure at Fort McClellan, and the Veteran's MOS. A new TERA nexus opinion must be obtained for each of these disabilities.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's disability ratings for low back disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy have been reduced from 40% and 10%, respectively, to 20% and 0%. The reduction was based on improvements shown in recent VA examinations.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.